With the soaring gasoline prices worldwide and global warming gaining awareness, the need for alternative methods is undeniable. The price of gasoline has increased more than 150 percent in the last five years. Fuel-saving technology is also essential for both automakers who hope to compete in the next decade and for a nation stricken by energy problems. In order to meet the increased demand, automakers from around the world have increased their hybrid and electric vehicle production and have put them on fast-track schedules.
A hybrid is a vehicle that has two power source, a gasoline engine and an electric motor. They are both utilizing the same drive train and cannot be used separately. Soaring gasoline prices are causing more and more people to consider purchasing a hybrid car. The hybrid, however is priced significantly higher than similar gas engine models. Some are as much as several thousand dollars higher in cost. For example, the cost of hybrid cars ranges from $19,000 to $25,000 compared to conventional fuel-efficient vehicles that cost anywhere between $14,000 to $17,000. In general, hybrid cars get twenty per cent better mileage than regular cars but cost thousands of dollars more. It will take several years of driving to recoup the difference in better mileage. Consumer advocate testing has shown that hybrid savings in fuel economy usually fails to offset the extra purchase price. Therefore, there exists an unfilled need for a system and method capable cost-effectively adding an electric drive component to an existing internal combustion engine powered automobile having a simple switching mechanism between electric drive component and existing internal combustion engine.